Messi breaks the Buffon jinx in 3-0 win over Juve
As the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League kicked off, Leo Messi finally broke the Buffon jinx, scoring not just one but two goals against the Italian, in Barcelona's 3-0 victory against Juventus at Camp Nou. They were Messi's first ever goals against Gigi Buffon, who left him goalless in their previous encounters. Ivan Rakitic too got on the score sheet having netted the second goal.
Premier League champions Chelsea returned to the Champions League, after an year away, with a bang. Antonio Conte's men demolished the UCL debutants Qarabag with a 6-0 win at Stamford Bridge. Goals poured in with the opener from Pedro, followed by Zappacosta's stunner, and the rest came from Azpilicueta, Bakayoko, Batshuayi, and finally a Qarabag's own goal.
Drawn in the Group C with Chelsea, Atletico Madrid were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Roma. On the other hand, Sporting Lisbon won 3-2 away to Olympiacos, from the Barca and Juve's Group D.
Manchester United too began their Champions League return with a comfortable victory at the Old Trafford against Switzerland's FC Basel. Fellaini, Lukaku, and Marcus Rashford starred in their 3-0 win against the visitors. In the other match from United's Group A, CSKA Moscow came back from a goal down to beat Benfica 2-1 in an away match.
The star-studded PSG side proved too much to handle for Brendan Rodgers's Celtic FC and faced a bitter 0-5 defeat at home. PSG's holy trinity- Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Edinson Cavani, scored in the French team's rout of Celtic. In the other Group B match, with goals from Lewandowski, Thiago Alcantra, and Kimmich, Bayern Munich registered a 3-0 home win against 10-man Anderlecht.
